Somali troops are said to have ended the hostage situation at the Hayat hotel in the capital Mogadishu late Saturday night. That says a security commander to the AFP news agency. All attackers, from the terrorist group Al-Shabaab, are said to have been killed. It is not known how many people have died in total in the hostage situation, reports from international media range from twelve to twenty dead.
The militants set off two car bombs near the hotel on Friday, after which they entered the building with fire. Civilians have been killed as a result. They then holed up in the hotel and held visitors hostage. The hotel is a popular place often visited by members of the government. It is not yet known how many people were detained or whether any government officials were among them.
The government would hold a press conference on Sunday and then provide more information about the attack. Al-Shabaab, an al-Qaeda-affiliated group, has been battling Somalia’s weak government for more than a decade. The attack on the hotel is the first major attack in the country since the new president, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, took office in June.
Also read: Massive attack in Somalia shows strength of terrorist group Al-Shabaab